Von der Leyen changes strategy as suggests ‘Public subsidies to farmers for nature-friendly measures’

Brussels – Go ahead with the European Green Deal, but with public aid: after the uprising by the agricultural sector, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, corrects her course. Sustainability and nature protection are still on the agenda, now freshly opened to State aid contributions to the sector. Since the reasons for farmers’ protests include costly EU policies, the objective is to remove this economic cost. The Von der Leyen formula rewards those who take measures to preserve nature.

“Today, in Europe, 60 to 70 percent of soil is in very poor condition,” the European Commission President denounced at the European Parliament’s plenary debate on the outcome of the extraordinary summit of heads of state and government, accompanied by the ‘tractor revolt’: “Effective nature protection must offer generous incentives to take action: public subsidies can provide such incentives.”

Here is von der Leyen’s opening for primary sector operators. Perhaps belated because it came after the vibrant mobilization of sector associations throughout Europe but finally recognized. “An effective protection of nature must offer generous incentives to take action,” von der Leyen insisted, publicly taking responsibility in front of the Hemicycle. “Farmers need a sound business case to improve measures for nature. Perhaps we did not give a convincing argument.” That’s why “we need a real incentive that goes beyond mere yield loss.”

Openness and a proposal that the Plenary appreciates with the agricultural issue becoming bipartisan. All groups recognize the importance of listening to farmers’ arguments, starting with the Populars, who square off around von der Leyen: “We support sustainable agriculture, but we must achieve its goals with farmers, not against them,” Sigfried Muresan, vice president of the EPP group, said.

The president of the EU Commission cashes in on the support of the Socialists, who do not reject the idea of incentives. “Farmers will only have a future if we work together,” stresses Iratxe Garcia Perez, the Socialists’ group leader. However, she attacks von der Leyen’s EPP. “Isn’t it the EPP that voted against the CAP reform? Let’s be serious. We cannot use the suffering of a sector for party purposes.” But from the Liberal (RE) benches, Hilde Vautmnas suggests something else to von der Leyen. “We need an impact assessment on any legislation for farmers.” Socialist Dan Nica, on the other hand, proposes a new financial instrument. “Just as we have an instrument called RepowerEU, we need an AgricoltureEU.”